A Circle Distorted
by Hayden's Super Hobbit
Summary: FINISHED: An unknown mage, bent on ruling Emelan, is attacking Briar and his friends. He will stop at nothing, including murder. Will Emelan be lost? Or can the four young mages stop the attack? B/S fic ***(SEMI-)IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE, READ IT PLEASE***
1. Chapter One: Briar's Return

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters originally produced by Tamora Pierce, nor do I claim anything you may recognize from any of her books. So there, I wrote a disclaimer and you can't sue me 'cause it all belongs to Tamora. HA! SUPER HOBBIT WINS AGAIN!  
  
~*~Chapter One: Briar's Return~*~  
  
"Pahan Briar? Pahan Briar? BRIAR!" Briar Moss was started out of a daydream.  
  
'Quite a pleasant one, too,' He thought. He looked over to see an impatient face staring into his own. "Yes, Evvy?" he asked sweetly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Pahan Briar, are we almost there? I'm so tired," his student, Evvy, complained.  
  
"Yes, Evvy, we should arrive within an hour," Briar's former pahan, or teacher, said. There was a scolding edge to Rosethorn's voice. Briar smiled slightly; he had been a victim of Rosethorn's sharp tongue many a time. But he had changed in the four years since he had left The Winding Circle. A former street rat, Briar had been quick tempered, stubborn, rude, and insolent. After many years of living with Rosethorn, he learned to keep himself - and his temper - in check. He gave the reins a small flick, urging the mules pulling their wagon to move faster. Looking at his rolled up sleeves, Briar remembered that the shirt he wore, large on him before he had left, was now too small. He kept the sleeves rolled up so that Rosethorn would not notice. Somehow Briar had trouble parting with the shirt, as it had been made for him by one of his best friends, Sandry.  
  
Thinking about Sandry led his thoughts to The Winding Circle, and to Discipline Cabin. He had lived in Discipline for quite a few years before he left, and he was glad to finally be returning to the place he had learned to call home.  
  
As the walls of The Winding Circle came into view, Briar drew his magic close within him. As a plant mage, his garden would react to his arrival, ruining the surprise of his early arrival. He couldn't have the plants giving him away, now could he?  
  
Finally they pulled up to Discipline. Briar padded inside, his feet making no sound against the wooden floor. 'It's all part of the trade,' he thought, meaning his past as a thief. He heard voices coming from the study and quickly identified them as Sandry and his two other best friends, Daja and Trisana. He leaned against the doorway. "Hello ladies." Briar practically sang the words; he was so excited to be seeing his friends again. The three girls whirled around, startled by the 'newcomer.'  
  
"Briar?" Trisana asked tentatively.  
  
"Hey, Coppercurls!" He replied, referring to his old nickname for Tris. He noticed soon after that she had grown her hair to the small of her back, and it was much less tightly curled.  
  
"What about me plant boy?" Daja demanded with mock insult.  
  
"Aw don't worry, I didn't forget you Trader girl," Briar told her. Daja looked down, her dark hands tightening their grip on her staff. Briar knew she was remembering her exile from the Traders and a trang-shi. The sole survivor of a shipwreck that killed all of her family, Daja was an outcast from the Traders, as they believed that if a single person survived a shipwreck, that person was bad luck and could not speak to or know 'respectable' Traders. Briar hoped she hadn't taken any offence, and was about to apologize when his thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind Sandry.  
  
"Lady Sandry, I am finished," a boy said.  
  
"Oh," Sandry said, suddenly remembering Pasco, "Briar, this is Pasco, my student. He is a dance-mage."  
  
"Pahan Briar," Evvy whined, tugging at Briar's sleeve, "who are your friends?" The girl, a rock mage, must have crept up without him noticing.  
  
"Evvy, this is Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, Daja of the Third Ship Kisubo, and Trisana Chandler," he said patiently.  
  
"It's just Sandry," his friend mumbled. Briar had forgotten that Sandry disliked her position as a noble, and that Evvy disliked nobles as much - if not more - than any other thief. That was what made Briar such an excellent teacher for Evvy, they shared the same past. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as the three girls, as if seeing him for the first time, drowned him in hugs  
  
"All right.ok.that's enough.really.you guys can stop now." Briar protested with a laugh. "Girls," he muttered when they finally released him, "they always gotta make a big deal outta everything."  
  
"Hey! We heard that kaq," Daja joked. Under normal circumstances, kaq was a Trader insult; In Briar's case it was an old nicknames resulting from Daja's former dislike of him, and was used lovingly. Now that he thought about it, everyone had hated Briar from the start with his street-rat attitude, but now the four were as close as siblings.  
  
Ever since the terrible earthquake where Sandry had weaved their magic together, the friends had been able to communicate through their thoughts, an ability that had proved quite useful.  
  
"My goodness, what is all the racket girls?" a familiar voice floated from down the hallway.  
  
"Lark! Briar's back!" Sandry squealed.  
  
"Briar Moss? But where is Rosethorn?" Lark asked.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rosethorn barked testily. "Briar Moss, you had better be planning on taking care of your things."  
  
"Yes, Rosethorn," Briar droned. He went back out to the front of Discipline and began taking his things from the wagon. He lugged his bags inside and to his old room, which had not changed a bit since he'd left. He flopped onto the bed. "It's good to be back." he murmured softly before dropping into a deep slumber. 


	2. Chapter Two: Nightmares

Disclaimer: I dun own any of Tamora's stuff. DUN SUE MEEEEE!  
  
KEY (I forgot this last time) ". . ." = people talking '. . ." = people thinking ~. . .~ mind speech  
  
~*~Chapter Two- Nightmares~*~  
  
"Briar! If you don't get down here we won't save you any!" Sandry yelled teasingly. This was the fourth time she had called for Briar. Several loud thuds from upstairs assured her that this time, Briar was awake. He appeared at the bottom of the stairs, his hair sticking up in all directions. Sandry stifled a giggle at his disheveled appearance.  
  
"What're you laughin' at?" Briar asked, his voice horse and a little shaky. Sandry was immediately alarmed. Briar was the last one out of all four mages to be afraid, and that was exactly how he sounded now.  
  
"Briar, are you all right?" She asked, not bothering to hide the concern in her voice. Briar shook his head slightly.  
  
"Yeah . . . sure . . .I just had a bit of a nightmare that's all . . ." his voice trailed off and he looked at Sandry reassuringly. She knew he was lying, but decided to put it off until later when she, Tris, and Daja could all talk to him together. They would go up on the roof . . . just like old times. She led him into the kitchen. During the meal, Sandry shot Briar many pleading glances while Daja and Tris looked between to two, confused. ~Sandry, stop it~ Briar told her in mind-speech.  
  
~Briar, what's wrong?~ She pleaded.  
  
~Do you guys mind sharing?~ Tris's mental voice cut in.  
  
~Yeah, what is with you two?~ Daja added.  
  
~Nothing's wrong!~ Briar's told them all, frustrated. He was glad that Rosethorn and Lark could not hear them when they spoke mind to mind. He didn't want to tell anyone what he had felt. Not yet.  
  
~Ok, everyone meet me on the roof after Lark and Rosethorn retire for the night.~ Sandry ordered. After a round of agreements they stopped their 'silent' chattering.  
  
A few hours later the four gathered on the roof. Sandry began speaking, her voice commanding. "Ok, Briar, something's wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"It was just a silly nightmare, really," Briar protested. After receiving a round of dissatisfied stares he began telling them of his dream. "Ok, I was right here in my room tending to my shakkan when all of a sudden I felt weak. Like all of my magic was drained out of me. This blackness swirled around me; I was scared . . . truly scared . . ." his voice trailed off.  
  
"Was it un-magic?" Sandry wanted to know.  
  
"No, it was nothing like the un-magic," he said, "It was more like a magical leech. And in the background I heard a terrible laughter, like a murderer in a play . . . except worse."  
  
"Well, let's think about this rationally," Daja said. They were all glad that their friend was so level headed. "It had to be caused by something, right? Well I think that if we find out what that something is, we can stop it."  
  
"But how do we know what's causing it?" Tris asked.  
  
"Easy, we just have to look at the components of the dream more carefully. Briar, tell us every last detail," Daja ordered. As Briar spoke the three girls listened closely. It was nearly midnight when the four retired, with a promise to meet back on the roof again the next night.  
  
Briar tossed and turned in a fitful sleep. ITwo men were sitting at a table, leaning over a piece of paper. One of them slapped the table angrily. "Damnit they are in Emelan! With Niklaren Goldeye! With him around, we have no chance to eliminate to four mages!"  
  
"Eliminate them?" the other man, smaller and obviously less powerful, asked. "Master, why?"  
  
"They are in the way of my plans. With that thread-mage related to Emelan's precious duke we have no way to get at him, Mian!" the larger man replied.  
  
"But master, you are stronger than the thread-mage," Mian said timidly.  
  
"The thread-mage would be an easy kill if it were not for her friends! But with that plant-mage, the smith-mage and the weather-mage behind her she could be nearly unstoppable!" his 'master' snapped impatiently, "If I am to conquer Emelan the mages must be gotten rid of!" /I  
  
CRASH! Briar fell to the floor, knocking over his unlit lantern. Glass flew everywhere. Briar lie in silent shock as Sandry, followed by Tris, Daja, and Lark. He heard Rosethorn grumbling as she made her way to his room. "Briar! What happened are you ok?" Sandry asked, rushing to him and beginning to clean the blood from a cut on his forehead. Thickly he realized that the cut was searing with pain. He must have been cut by a shard of glass from the lantern. He sat up, careful not to cut himself on the glass surrounding him.  
  
"What happened boy?" Rosethorn demanded.  
  
"I fell out of bed," Briar replied slowly, getting gingerly to his feet.  
  
~Another nightmare?~ Sandry asked. Briar nodded at her. ~I had one too.~ she told him. Then she looked into his eyes. Instead of fear, like he felt, he saw reassurance. Tris brought over a small bowl of water and gave it to Sandry. She made him sit on the bed while she gently cleaned the cut. ~I'll tell you about it later~  
  
~Hey, why can't you two just speak like normal people. Rosethorn and Lark aren't around anymore; it's just us.~ Tris inquired.  
  
~Because! They're right downstairs. They could hear!~ Briar protested.  
  
~Gods, Briar, don't get so upset.~ Daja warned. ~Niko will be here today, we should talk to him about our nightmares.~ She suggested.  
  
~You mean you had them too?~ Briar questioned. Daja and Tris nodded in unison. ~What did you guys see?~  
  
~Two men were talking about us. They want to kill us!~ Tris explained.  
  
~That was what I saw, too.~ Daja said calmly.  
  
~And me. We should really talk to Niko about this Briar.~ Sandry said.  
  
~All right, all right, we can talk to Niko.~ Briar agreed reluctantly. The four young mages agreed not to worry about the strange nightmares until Niko was present and went downstairs. 


	3. Chapter Three: Niko's Visit

A/N: It has been brought to my attention that I made a mistake in chapter one concerning Daja's book. Just so everyone knows, I have only read Sandry's book and the first few pages of Briar's book. Please excuse any mistakes I make pertaining to the books.  
  
Disclaimer: I dun own nuttin cept the plotline. That's mine. But nothing else is. Oh, Mian and the "master" dude (yet to be named) are of my creation too. MINE I TELL YOU! ALL MINE!  
  
A/N: I am hyper.chocolate ice cream yeeheeheehee! F is for fire that burns down the whole town U is for Ukranium.bombs! N is for NO SURVIVOOORRRRRRRS! Haha that's from Spongebob! Lol. Ok now on with the story.  
  
~*~Chapter Three: Niko's Visit~*~  
  
The four young mages were especially anxious in their work during the morning and few hours of the afternoon before Niko arrived. They jumped at every sound and glanced towards the front gate in vain. Finally Niko appeared in the doorway. Briar approached him and looked him straight in the face. "Niko, we need to talk to you; me and Tris and Sandry and Daja. It's important," he announced  
  
"All right, just give me a moment to tell Rosethorn and Lark that I am here. Then we will find a nice quiet place and the five of us can talk." Niko replied patiently. Finally Sandry, Briar, Daja, and Tris led him up to the roof where they could talk in peace. "Ok, what's the problem," Niko asked.  
  
"We've all been having strange dreams . . ." Briar started.  
  
"Dreams about what?" Niko questioned. He listened carefully as the four young mages took turns telling him about their nightmares. When they had finished, he was silent for a moment. Then he spoke. "The man Mian is well known for joining up with plotters and aiding them. He is a coward at heart, but vicious as an angered boar when he is threatened. He is a valuable asset to any who wish to use him for evil because he will do exactly as he is told without a second thought. It is a result of his stupidity."  
  
"So you mean someone really is after Uncle Vedris?" Sandry asked worriedly. She smiled halfheartedly at Briar, who shot a concerned glance her way.  
  
"I am afraid so, Sandry," Niko sighed. "Until I can find out who is causing all this trouble, I want you four to always stick together. Never leave Discipline alone and always tell Rosethorn or Lark if you leave and who you are with." He looked at Daja. "Of course, it will be fine for you to go to the smithy with Frostpine. You are safe in his care. I will notify all of the mages in Emelan of our foreign attacker and we will get to the bottom of this soon." Niko glanced at the sun. "I regret to say that I must leave you now, I have some important business to attend to," Niko informed them. "Remember my instructions. Two of you together are strong enough to hold out long enough for me to reach you if need be."  
  
As Niko left, the four mages began to go about their days again; all but Sandry that is. Around an hour later, she was still on the roof. Briar decided he would make sure she was ok. "Are you all right?" he asked gently.  
  
Sandry forced a smile. "Yes, I'm fine, Briar," she lied.  
  
"You don't seem fine," he remarked, peering into her light blue eyes.  
  
"Briar . . ." Sandry looked away. "I'm worried about Uncle Vedris. What if we don't find out who's behind this? What if we can't stop Miad and his new master?"  
  
Briar thought about this for a moment. Those were his exact fears. He decided that sharing this with Sandry would only upset her more. "We will. Don't worry. With Niko to help us everything will be fine." He finally said, much more confidently than he felt. Sandry smiled at him; his insides melted. He wanted to slap himself. 'Don't go getting like that Briar,' he told himself harshly, "This is Sandry we're talking about!' His thoughts paused for a moment. He couldn't help thinking that maybe he should just go for it. He had nothing to lose did he? After deciding that he might as well take a shot, Briar moved closer to Sandry and wrapped a tentative arm around her shoulders. He expected her to move away, and was surprised when she leaned against him. He relaxed his arm and sighed softly. Then a shout pierced the stillness of the night.  
  
"BRIAR! SANDRY! Where ARE you two?" Rosethorn yelled. Briar noticed that the sun was setting. He stretched and stood up, reaching a hand down to Sandry in a gesture to help her stand. She blushed every so slightly and took his hand, releasing it the second she was standing and clearing her throat softly. She started towards Discipline's first floor, hearing Briar walk softly behind her. There was something about him that made her stomach flutter. Maybe it was that he had grown to be tall and handsome. Of maybe it was the way he had matured and it was now hard to picture the same person back on the streets picking someone's pocket. There was just something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but whatever it was, she found herself attracted to him in a way she had never thought possible. 


	4. Chapter Four: Vinen Snakethread

Disclaimer: I dun own nuttin cept Mian and the now named master dude! (Don't worry you will find out his name in this chapter) Don't sue me! It's all Tamora's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I admit it! It's all hers! Just please don't sue me! (Dramatic child aren't I?)  
  
A/N: howdy y'all! Juss so ya no.I am becoming review crazy. Please please please with lotsa yummy sugar on top leave me a review! Thanks a bunch! Much love from da Super Hobbit!  
  
~*~Chapter Four: Vinen Snakethread~*~  
  
It was dark in the small cabin. A boy, the plant mage, was walking briskly towards the front gate. Carefully, slowly, he opened the gate, crept through, and then closed it softly. He began to walk away, but turned sharply, again facing the gate. It opened and a tall slender girl, the thread mage, slipped out. "Damn!" Vinen Snakethread filled the air with curses. He could have caught the plant mage alone and finished him off in the night if the thread mage wasn't around. He stormed through the castle, hidden very well on a small, innocent looking island covered in trees. This place was very near Emelan, making it an ideal place to hide away. Emelan would be his, no matter how many people he had to kill to be named undisputed ruler!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~  
  
Briar laughed softly as Sandry tripped on an unseen root in their path. "What's so funny?" she demanded.  
  
"You," Briar replied mockingly.  
  
"Ooooh, you!" she growled with mock anger. Then she stuck her tongue out at him in a very un-lady-like manner. Briar's only response was to shove her lightly. She shoved him back, slamming him into a nearby tree.  
  
"Ouch," Briar remarked breathlessly; the impact had knocked the wind out of his lungs. He fell back into stride beside Sandry. Both were silent, content to walk along the path in each other's company. Briar remembered dimly that it was late and no one knew they had left. Originally only he was supposed to be there, even though Niko had warned him against it. He needed time to think, but of course Sandry had seen him leave, though he had thought she was asleep. Once he was discovered, he had no choice but to let her come along; she had threatened to wake up Rosethorn and tell her if he didn't. Shuddering at the thought of a grumpy, angered Rosethorn, Briar realized that Sandry was no longer beside him. "Sandry!" he called, panicking at the thought of her being hurt, or even worse, dead. He knew she shouldn't have come along! "Sandry!" he shouted again, his voice desperate. As much as he hated to admit it, he had feelings for Sandry. If he had caused something to happen to her by agreeing to let her accompany him, he would never forgive himself. He began walking quickly back along the path, shouting her name. Finally he heard a reply.  
  
"Briar?" Sandry called. "Briar, over here! I'm stuck!" Briar rushed to her side. Sandry's foot had become entwined in a thorn bush. Using his magic, he strengthened the bond between the stem and thorns, making sure that none of them would break off in her skin. Then he carefully removed the plant and examined her foot. The cuts were very shallow, thank the gods, and had already stopped bleeding. Briar fought down the urge to hold her; to be sure it was really Sandry and that she was truly alive and practically unhurt. Taking a deep breath, he helped her off the ground. They turned back towards Discipline. No further troubles arose in Briar's mind that night.  
  
The next afternoon, Niko arrived at Discipline without even a moment's notice. He immediately gathered the four young mages and ushered them to the roof, which had become their designated discussion zone. "Niko, what's wrong?" Tris asked.  
  
"I have found out who is after Duke Vedris, and it seems that you four are in more danger than I realized. Mian's new master is Vinen Snakethread, one of the cruelest dark mages. He will stop at nothing to gain control of Emelan, and that includes murder. Since he knows that the four of you stand between him and Duke Vedris, you are at the top of his hit list. I already have every mage on the alert, and protection spells have been set around every inch of Emelan. As long as you do not stray out of the range of the spells, you are safe from harm, as he cannot detect you within them. Since Vinen would never think of hiring someone to commit a murder for him, he will try to lure you out of Emelan. Ignore these beckons at all costs. Once we find his lair, we can capture him. Until then you are to remain in Emelan. Failure to do so could lead you to your death," Niko said harshly.  
  
"So this Snakethread man, he wants to rule Emelan?" Briar asked  
  
"Yes," Niko replied, "And he will not be fazed if he has to finish off each of you to do it." Tris looked up at the sky.  
  
"Niko, we should go inside. Look at that storm. It will be dreadfully powerful once it hits; I have a feeling that will be very soon," she said. Since no one else had weather magic, they trusted to Tris's predictions. After much discussion of Vinen Snakethread and his plot, Niko left Discipline to aid the mages in their search for the man. The four young mages agreed not to worry, but it was impossible for them to forget that they were the targets of a murderer. Sandry seemed especially affected by the news. Briar couldn't help it, he kept glancing at Sandry, his eyes filled with concern for the noble.  
  
'Ironic,' he thought, 'I used to hate nobles, and look at me now. I've gone soft.' Deep down, Briar was glad that he had given up life on the streets. And being 'soft' wasn't that bad in its very peculiar way, though he did wish that his stomach would stop fluttering when he was around Sandry. Why was it that she made him so nervous? He was closer to her than he was to any of the others in Discipline. That should make him more confident around her, not less. Pushing that thought from his mind, he went to remove his shakkan from its shelf on his window. The storm was beginning to pick up and he didn't want it to fall. He began a detailed evaluation of its condition, leaving not one leaf unchecked. Hearing a noise behind him, Briar turned, nearly running into Sandry. "What are you doing in my room?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Tris and Daja are playing chess, Lark and Rosethorn are with Niko, and I have nothing to do," she explained, a note of boredom in her voice. "I did knock, but you didn't hear. I saw you tending to your shakkan and decided that watching you would be much more fun that watching a game of chess, which, by the way, is not going anywhere at all." Sandry knew that this wasn't the truth. Sure, the game was almost standing still and Lark and Rosethorn were with Niko, but she could have been weaving or finishing the embroidery she had started earlier. The real reason that she had wanted to watch Briar care for his shakkan was that during times such as that, she saw a different side of the rough, unrefined Briar. She saw a caring, gentleness when he was nurturing the plant, and liked to imagine that some day maybe he would treat her the same way.  
  
"Would you like to try and help me?" Briar offered, "I mean, I know you only have a magic with thread, but a plant's roots are sort of like thread. Maybe if you used the roots you could help me make sure that it doesn't need anything."  
  
"I'll try," Sandry replied, doubtful that she would actually succeed. She began to prod her magic, searching for the roots of Briar's precious shakkan. She was amazed that he actually trusted her with the plant. Not even Rosethorn was allowed to touch it. She found the roots and began feeling them as she would a disagreeable thread, gently and tenderly, searching for anything that it might need. Sandry felt an earthy warmth, much like Briar's magic, but different in a way. She knew that this was the shakkan telling her that it was in perfect condition and needed no further tending. She turned to Briar, who was smiling slightly. "It says that it doesn't need anything else," she informed him.  
  
"You mean you did it?" Briar asked, awed.  
  
"Yes, I just pretended that the roots were a thread that couldn't spin right. I asked it what was wrong and it said that it didn't need anything more, that nothing was wrong," Sandry said. He smiled at her and her stomach flopped. Briar's lopsided smile was accentuated [A/N: OH MY GOSH I USED A BIG WORD! GO ME!] by his sparkling green eyes.  
  
"Briar, Sandry, Rosethorn and Lark are home," Daja yelled up the stairs.  
  
"Shall we go greet them?" Sandry asked, grinning as she thought of a wet, cold Rosethorn walking into Discipline barking orders. Briar grimaced; he was obviously having the same unpleasant thought. She laughed as he made a face and then called sweetly, "We're coming down." He led her to the front door and prepared to face the wrath of Rosethorn's discomfort. 


	5. Chapter Five: Snakethread's First Attemp...

Disclaimer: I own Vinen Snakethread, Mian, and the plot. Everything else is Tamora's so don't sue me. Thank you very much.  
  
A/N: lalala today I am hyper but no one will humor me. I have a to-do list u want to see? Ok here goes. One- Start a petition to admit Middle Earth and Tortall to the United Nations. Two- Discover the Dark Lord Sauron's Argentinean stronghold. (Yes, SAURON LIVES IN ARGENTINA!) Three- Find out where the heck I can get Lady Knight . . . that book is like NOWHERE in my town! Four- write this chapter before you people all come at me with knives for ranting nonsense. I think number four is most important, how about you?  
  
Lady Sandrilene: uhm.I don't exactly know HOW they found out . . .I just needed them to find out. How they would have done that is beyond me but still it had to happen so I made it happen lol. Anyway, on to the story.  
  
~*~Chapter Five: Snakethread's First Attempt~*~  
  
Tris woke especially early to find that no one else was up. She looked out her window and saw the sun beginning to rise. 'What a beautiful time for a walk,' she thought. She crept down the stairs and out the door. She paused at the gate. Hadn't Niko warned her to be sure that someone knew where she was? Oh well, no one was awake. It wasn't her fault. She slipped through the gate. She decided to walk along a small woodland trail, and set off. Just as she began to think of turning back, Tris heard footsteps. She waited a moment, ready to protect herself if she was attacked. A man of his early forties appeared on the path. As kindly as he looked, Tris felt herself tense. 'Look at me,' she scolded herself, 'Already I am defensive and I don't even know the man.' Still she didn't like the way the air seemed to chill when he neared her. "Can I help you?" she asked him, painfully polite.  
  
"Oh dear," the man wheezed, "I am in need of aid. Would you please come back to my village?" He sounded genuinely troubled, but Tris still didn't quite trust him.  
  
"I really must be going back," she said hurriedly. An odd expression flickered across the man's face, but it was gone before Tris could identify it. There was definitely something she did not like about this old man. Suddenly he spoke, his voice deeper, harsh and cold.  
  
"You selfish girl," it roared, "Not caring for the needs of another." Tris turned, back towards the man. As she set her eyes on him, she noticed that he was flickering and fading. As he did so, he changed. Now the man was in his late twenties with dark hair and black eyes. His face was cruel and unkind. Suddenly realization hit. This was an illusion sent by Vinen Snakethread to lure her out of Emelan. As the magical image of Snakethread died out, she turned and ran back to Discipline as fast as she could. When she dashed into the gate and locked it securely, she rushed inside to see Lark headed towards the door.  
  
"Oh there you are Tris," she said kindly, "I was about to come looking for you."  
  
"Where have you been?" Rosethorn demanded. "Niko told you to make sure your whereabouts were known and here you are running off."  
  
"I went for a walk," Tris explained, "No one was awake so I couldn't very well ask, could I?"  
  
"Then you shouldn't have gone out Trisana. End of discussion," Rosethorn reprimanded. Tris stalked upstairs huffily. A quick check with her magic told her that Daja was in her room, probably asleep, and Sandry was in Briar's room with him. Noticing that Briar's door was open, she took it as an invitation to join them. She walked in and greeted them both.  
  
"Where were you Tris? Rosethorn and Lark were looking for you," Sandry said.  
  
"I was out on a walk," Tris replied stubbornly. She was not about to let herself be scolded again.  
  
"What's the matter Coppercurls?" Briar teased. He didn't seem to realize that Tris was in no mood to be made fun of that morning.  
  
"It's absolutely none of your business, Briar Moss!" Tris shouted. Then she stormed away, dimly aware that it was beginning to thunder. She stopped a moment to hush the storm to a gentle rain, and then slammed into her room. A while later she heard a small, timid knock on her door. "What?" she snapped, not caring who was on the other side.  
  
"Tris, it's Sandry," her friend said softly, "Briar and Daja are with me. Can we come in?"  
  
"Fine," Tris said reluctantly. She let her friends inside.  
  
"Tris, is something wrong?" Daja asked.  
  
"I - I saw him . . ." Tris's told them quietly. Sandry motioned subtly for Briar to close the door. After he had shut it firmly, she continued to question Tris gently.  
  
"Saw who?" she prodded.  
  
"Snakethread." Tris's voice was no more than a frightened whisper.  
  
"What? You saw him? Here?" Briar erupted in a storm of questions.  
  
"In the woods," Tris told them. "He sent an illusion of an old man in trouble to try to lure me out of Emelan. When I didn't do as he said, I saw an image of him before me." Tears began to stream down Tris's face. "I'm sorry I disobeyed Niko, but it was so beautiful out this morning and no one was awake. I couldn't resist going out but I didn't want to wake anyone so I just snuck out." She said through her tears. Sandry shushed her gently while Daja informed her that no one was angry or upset with her. After all, she had seen through Snakethread's trick. That was admirable in the young mages' eyes. After Tris had been comforted, Sandry stole a half-hidden glance at Briar. He was glowering angrily.  
  
~Briar? What is it? ~ She asked him telepathically.  
  
~I'd like to give that Snakethread a taste of I my /I wrath!~ Briar said angrily.  
  
~Briar . . . you know you can't do that.~ Sandry protested.  
  
~That won't stop me from wishing Sandry.~ Briar argued. And with that he closed off the mind-link. Sandry vowed to keep an extra close eye on her rash, temperamental friend. 


	6. Chapter Six: Unexpected Discovery

Disclaimer: HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN IS MYNE! Everything else is Tamora Pierces. (and no. . . MY Hayd isn't in the story but he's still MYNE!)  
  
Lady Sandrilene: yea there's some upcoming Sandry/Briar fluff. Teehee.  
  
A/N: sorry it took me so long to update, I was trying to scrape up some inspiration.  
  
~*~*~Chapter Six: Unexpected Discoveries~*~*~  
  
It had been nearly a week since Tris's encounter with Snakethread, yet the nervous energy about The Winding Circle had not faded. If anything, it had increased. The four mages were especially affected by the incident. Even Daja seemed reluctant to leave the safety of Discipline to go to Frostpine's smithy. Sandry kept to herself, weaving or spinning. Tris's nose was constantly stuck in a book, her face pale and scared. Briar, however, dwelt in anger and hatred for Snakethread. This man was trying to kill Sandry's uncle! He heard a knock at his door. "What?" Briar snapped, not caring if it was Rosethorn or if he was about to be scolded.  
  
"Briar?" It was Sandry. "Briar, can I come in?" she asked softly.  
  
"Fine," he said exasperatedly. Sandry came in and shut the door carefully behind her. She peered up at him.  
  
"Briar, what's wrong?" She inquired.  
  
"I wish I could just crush that man!" Briar glowered a moment, then took a deep breath and calmed himself. "No . . . don't look at me like that, I'm not going after him. I wish I could but I'm not that stupid." He studied her face a moment. "Sandry, are you alright?"  
  
"I'm afraid," she said quietly, as if it were shameful.  
  
"We're all afraid, Sandry," Briar admitted. He had not told anyone else that he was afraid and had no idea why he was suddenly spilling it to Sandry. She looked at him as if his confession had eased her somewhat, but looking into her eyes, Briar still saw a desperate fear and helplessness. Without even thinking, he pulled her into a firm but gentle embrace. He was determined to rid her of her unhappiness. Much to Briar's surprise, Sandry did not struggle away, but wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the embrace. For a brief moment, Briar realized what was going on and thought of stopping himself. Then he thought better of it. Sandry was obviously not going to object. She met his eyes. They were warm and . . . she saw something else within their emerald depths. Slowly he brought his face down towards hers.  
  
'He's going to kiss me,' Sandry realized. Somehow she was not surprised. She tilted her head back slightly. He pressed his lips onto hers, sending a wave of warmth throughout her. For that one long moment, everything melted away. Her worries, her fear, even the threat of Snakethread were gone. She returned the kiss and buried her fingers in his dark, curly hair. Sandry realized that she had been denying her feelings for Briar for a long time, and now she was sure that he felt the same way. To soon for Sandry, the kiss ended, though Briar did not remove his strong arms from around her waist. He looked at her and smiled; she could not help but smile back. Briar brought his lips close to her ear and whispered softly, "I love you." Then, slowly, he moved away from her and walked over to his shakkan. She watched him a moment before quietly slipping out the door. 


	7. Chapter Seven: News

Disclaimer: nothing in the story is mine. I wish Briar was mine but he's not so.hmmm.I wish that my icky bloody finger wasn't mine. Knives are bad when you are tired and lockers are bad when you slam a nasty cut from a bread knife in them before getting on the bus and realizing that you are bleeding. K.anyway.none of Tamora's stuff is mine. I DO, however, own Vinen Snakethread, Mian, the plot, Hayden Christensen, and my loverly chapter six. I am amazed that I, the "guy repellant" herself, can write stuff like that. Ok.on to chapter seven.  
  
~*~*~Chapter Seven: News~*~*~  
  
After that fateful day in Briar's room, he and Sandry would periodically meet each other's eyes, blush, look away, and busy themselves with whatever happened to be in their hands at the time. Everyone noticed, and by the end of the week had a fairly good idea of what was going on and pretended not to. Meanwhile, Briar and Sandry took much of their free time to be together in secret, without everyone knowing. They weren't sure what their friends, teachers, and apprentices would think and were somehow not interested in finding out. On that particular day, Briar found Sandry lying on the roof watching the clouds. He closed the trap door that opened onto the roof and sat next to her. Neither one said anything. They had not been so perfectly alone since their first kiss. Briar stretched and lay back, shifting so that he was on the trapdoor. 'That'll keep anyone from disturbing us,' he thought. Sandry slowly moved closer to him until she was no more than half a foot away.  
  
Briar sighed and closed his eyes, beginning to fall asleep. The warm sun smiled down at them, increasing Briar's drowsiness. He opened his eyes a moment looked over at Sandry. He smiled gently at her and she again moved towards him, closing the gap between them. He wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled against him, laying her head on his chest. As she drifted into an easy sleep, Sandry turned onto her side and placed a delicate hand on his chest. Briar sighed and looked down at her, smiling at the innocence and serenity radiating from her face. As he slipped into a light slumber, the last thing he felt was the comfort of Sandry sleeping against him.  
  
The two were woken by Tris's impatient mind voice. ~Briar, Sandry! Are you two up there?~ she asked. Searching the roof with her magic, Tris found the two directly above her. From the peacefulness of their magic, she figured they were sleeping . . .in a tangled heap. She tried again. ~BRIAR!~  
  
Briar was startled awake by Tris's mind yell. He gently woke Sandry and they moved off the trap door and apart from each other, hoping Tris did not suspect anything. She emerged from below and glared at them. "Briar, WHY were you sitting on the trap door?" she demanded.  
  
"Because it's the closest place to where I was standing when I came up here," he responded in an ornery fashion. What he didn't know was that Tris had a pretty good idea of what he and Sandry had been doing.  
  
"Oh, really," Tris said suspiciously.  
  
"Yes, really," Briar said irritably. Tris was about to argue when she was interrupted by Daja emerging through the trap door.  
  
"Niko is here," she informed them, "He's coming now." Sure enough, a moment later Niko was sitting on the rooftop with them. After he had said his hellos, he began to fill the four mages in on recent events.  
  
"I have news that is both good and bad in itself," Niko told them. "Snakethread is, as Tris saw last week, able to send illusions to the Winding Circle without exact knowledge of where you are. He knows you will not stray outside the protection spells, but we have reason to believe he is making his way here. If he crosses into the range of the protection spells he will be able to find you. That, in itself, is bad news, but some good may come of it. Once he is within the spells, we will be able to track him with magic."  
  
"But how will we know when he does?" Tris asked.  
  
"That we have yet to find out," Niko answered. "But you four must constantly be on the alert. Try to go about your lives as normally as possible, but be careful. Now, as you know, the Duke's Midsummer ball will be next week. In Snakethread's eyes, it is the perfect time to sneak into the Winding Circle unnoticed. This event is in highest expectancy because all of the people in Emelan will be enjoying themselves. No one will think twice about him arriving."  
  
"So you think he is going to come during the Midsummer Ball?" Sandry inquired.  
  
"Yes, Sandry." Niko told her, "But we will be keeping an eye out for him so try not to worry." Sandry nodded, though she did not look comforted. Briar resisted the urge to hold her, knowing that he would at the very least get a lecture from Niko. He sank deep into thought before realizing that Niko was about to leave. After everyone else had left to roof, he figured he would finish his nap and stretched out in the sun, enjoying its warmth. Within moments he was asleep.  
  
Briar awoke several hours later to cold drops of rain falling on his face. Sandry popped her head through the trap door and laughed softly at Briar, who looked bewildered. "You're not going to stay dry out here on the roof," she commented, plopping down next to him. He sat up and shivered. The rain had soaked him to the bone before he woke up. Sandry stood again. "Come on, Briar, you had better get inside before you catch a cold." Briar stood stiffly and followed Sandry inside.  
  
After changing his soaking wet clothes he headed down to the main room to find his friends relaxing in separate corners. He chose the space nearest Sandry and decided he would actually crack open a book. He found it hard to concentrate with Sandry sitting right beside him so he left, heading for his room. Around an hour later there was a knock at his door and Sandry emerged. "Thought you could use a friend," she explained.  
  
"Hmm?" he said, somewhat startled by her silent arrival.  
  
"I said I thought you could use a friend," she repeated patiently.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Briar commented?  
  
"Because you have kept yourself cooped up in here for over an hour. It's not like you to be so reserved," Sandry reasoned, sitting on the bed next to him.  
  
"I've got a lot on my mind," he said.  
  
"Like what?" she asked. After a moment she looked up at him. "Briar . . .you aren't still thinking about him are you? You know you can't go after him, you'll get yourself killed."  
  
"Shh, I'm not going after him," he told her, his voice warm and soothing. It was obvious Sandry was getting herself worked up over him and Briar didn't like that at all. He would rather be upset over her than have her upset because of him. He moved closer to her, so close that their shoulders were touching. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her softly before gently assuring her that he would not be going after Snakethread alone. She seemed convinced, resting her head against his shoulder, but he didn't want to spoil the moment by making sure. Instead, Rosethorn's voice pierced the silence.  
  
"Briar! Sandry! Get out here now!" she demanded.  
  
"Another lecture," Briar joked before leading Sandry out of his room. 


	8. Chapter Eight: Midsummer

A/N: hey sorry I haven't written in a while. been in need of ideas. New cds are very good for ideas. Especially Gravity (Our Lady Peace). I gotted it last night and now I have ideas again. Music is a biiig influence on me. "I'm not made of steel. I'm not made of steel but your secrets safe with me . . ." Anywayz . . .  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing that is Tamora's is mine. I do own Vinen Snakethread, Mian, and the plot. And Hayden Christensen . . .and the corn muffins that I made. And my cd . . .and the plot. Yeah . . .that . . .the plot . . .that's mine.  
  
~*~Chapter 8: Midsummer~*~  
  
"Aw, Rosethorn. Do I HAVE to wear this stuff?" Briar protested. They, his friends and teacher, were trying to stuff him into fancy clothing for the Midsummer Ball.  
  
"Yes, Briar, as a matter of fact you do," Rosethorn snapped. After much argument Briar finally gave in, grumbling as he and his friends left Discipline.  
  
"Oh come on, Plant Boy," Daja teased. "It's not THAT bad."  
  
"That's what you think," Briar retorted.  
  
"Briar, just put up with it for tonight and then you don't have to get dressed up again until Midwinter." Sandry reasoned. Briar sighed.  
  
"Fine. I'll behave and if you're lucky I'll even be quiet." He said reluctantly.  
  
"You behave?" Tris teased. "Never!" She laughed as Briar scowled at her. Finally they reached the Duke's Citadel and entered the ball. Tris, Daja, and Briar stayed together while Sandry was asked to dance by several nobles. Briar was jealous. HE wanted to be the one dancing with Sandry. Of course, he hid his envy. It wouldn't do for his friends to find out. The teasing would be endless. Also, he and Sandry had agreed not to let anyone find out until they were sure how everyone would react. After a while, Sandry excused herself to be with her friends.  
  
"If I have to dance with one more swaggering peacock I am going to hurt something!" Sandry said, stamping her foot indignantly. She scowled at a young noble approaching her and he quickly changed the direction of his footsteps. "Sometimes I wish I could spend one day without being followed by suitors. It would be nice to dance with someone with a bit of sense in his head." She looked at Briar pointedly.  
  
"What?" he asked her. After a moment, realizing what she meant, he obediently followed her, mumbling, "But just as friends." He figured that if he pretended nothing was between he and Sandry, his friends would not know that there really was. As they left their friends, Briar noticed that Lark and Rosethorn had joined them in their corner. Sandry led him to the opposite side of the room, which was just as well. Away from Daja, Tris, Lark, and Rosethorn, they would not be spotted. Sandry stopped and turned toward Briar. Seeing that he was apprehensive about dancing, she arranged his arms around her waist. Then she slid her small hands up the length of them, making him shiver happily. Slowly Briar whirled her about the floor, careful to remember all that he had been taught about dancing. After a while he began to relax and enjoy himself. This was much better than standing on the side. The music slowed and Sandry moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder. He re-adjusted his arms around her. Just then Tris's voice sounded out across their mind-link.  
  
~Briar, Sandry! Niko needs you both back over here.~ She said quickly. Briar and Sandry separated reluctantly. Before they began to walk back towards their friends, Briar kissed her briefly. When they reached the corner that they had left some time before, Niko awaited them with a worried demeanor.  
  
"Niko, what's wrong?" Briar asked immediately. Niko gave the four young mages a meaningful look and took a deep breath.  
  
"Vinen Snakethread has acted as we anticipated. He is in the Winding Circle."  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: nice cliffhanger eh? Heehee. Don't worry; there will still be quite a few more chapters. At least 5. I haven't written much else because my friend and I are writing another story together. (See Forever Destiny by phychopeople.) Yeah, so, uhm, review please! I am dependant on reviews. TYPEWRITER IS THE LONGEST WORD YOU CAN TYPE WITH THE TOP ROW OF KEYS! AHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAA . . .that was random. My random acts of whoosh and I will be posting another chapter soon. Bye-bye! 


	9. Chapter Nine: Threats

A note to Panda; Co-writer of Enemaldae: I would like to say no, I was not offended by your question. And I would also like to say I AM a female, hence my being Hayden's. In case you didn't read my previous disclaimers, I am obsessed with Hayden Christensen; the 21 year-old, blond haired blue eyed actor who played Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones. He is oober hot and ALL MINE! I HAVE HIS ACTION FIGUUUURE! I bring him everywhere, to school and my grandma's and my friends' houses and ccd and he has a little bed in my room and I treat him like a god and I love him oh so much and looky how long this sentence is, IT'S A RUN ON AHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!  
  
Sa: BOO! AHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA! I am in a crazy mood today so look out. I am not so sure I should be writing at a time like this.BUT I AM! YARHARHAR! GO SLINKY GO SLINKY GO SLINKY GO!  
  
Helga: you are SO immature!  
  
SA: AM NOT! -pouts, then grins insanely- LETS GO TO THE CRAZY PLACE! I WANNA MEET THE FUNNY DUDES! I WANNA MEET THE FUNNY DUDES! LETS GO! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!  
  
Helga: you certainly belong there  
  
SA: DO NOT! But Bob the Milkshake does! He thinks he's a superhero! He tried to fly last night and spilled aaaalll over the floor. SPLAT  
  
Helga: milkshakes are inanimate objects! They do not-  
  
SA: -interrupts- BOB IS REAL! -cries- HAVEN'T YOU EVER HAD A SPECIAL FRIEND? BOB IS MY MILKSHAKE BUDDY! -runs to room and locks self in-  
  
Helga: I'm still here you know. I live in your head. You can't ever get rid of me  
  
SA: DAMMIT YES I CAN! DIE HELGA! DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: neither Sa nor Helga owns any of Tamara's characters. Sa owns Hayden Christensen and Helga WISHES that she did but she cant CAUSE HE'S ALL MINE AHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! And I (Sa) wish that Briar were mine because he's da shiz and also I would like to ask someone to vacate Helga from my brain. I like those little penguin . . . -stops in middle of sentence and shuffles through some papers and disks- OH! OHMIGOSH! -Runs off in the direction of Skywalker Ranch- JARJAAAAAAAAAAAR! YOU'VE BEEN IN MY FILES AGAIN! I'M GONNA STEAL HAYDEN'S LIGHTSABER AND CHOP YOU TO PIECES YOU FEIND! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! -lets out huge Indian war cry- -smashes headlong into Hayden- Oh, hi Hayden . . .heehee . . .I was just . . .um . . .writing the next chapter of my book. -Nervous giggles- no, I wasn't after Jarjar. Honest! -Crosses fingers behind back- He's my special friend! The yelling? Oh, that was just a little joke -nervous giggles- you still love me right? -grins hugely and hugs Hayden, then sneaks off and steals his lightsaber, finds Jarjar, and tortures him. Finally Sa returns to Disclaimer- Ok, now that I have . . .er . . .done everything BUT torture Jarjar, (grins evilly as she always does when she has just told a malicious lie) I will assure you that no one but Mian, Snakethread, and Hayden are mine. -picks up lightsaber and runs back to torture Jarjar some more- AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! YOU CANT STOP ME NOW YOU EVIL CREATURE! VICTORY WILL BE MINE! ADMIT DEFEAT OR DIE! YARHARHARHAR! SUBMIT YOURSELF TO MY SWORD . . . (looks around, coughs) I MEAN . . .LIGHTSABER! YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE BABBLEY DUDE! NOT EVEN YOUR ANNOYINGLY HIGH-PITCHED EVIL WEIRDO VOICE CAN STOP ME! I AM SUPER HOBBIT AND ALL SHALL BOW DOWN TO ME! I AM ALL POWERFULL AND SUPER HOBBITY! -Lets out another Indian war cry-  
  
~*~ Chapter 9 - Threat ~*~  
  
It was the morning after the Midsummer Ball. The air in Emelan, and especially the Winding Circle was thick with of fear and foreboding. Briar took advantage of his abilities to make no noise when walking about the cottage and the thick fog that enshrouded them to sneak away from Discipline. If he was careful, no one would see him. He had decided the night before that he would find Snakethread and finish him off. A rustle in the bushes caused him to drop to the ground. The fog was somewhat less thick down here, and Briar could see a dark shape moving about. He decided against using his magic. If this really was Snakethread, his magic would be detected. Instead, Briar readied the knives hidden in many convenient places on his body, especially the ones at his wrists. They would be his best bet, as he could get them by flicking his wrist just right. Briar had perfected the technique and was confident that if the man was really the mage aiming to kill his friends he would be able to stab him and leave before anyone was the wiser. He crept up behind the man and leapt on his back, yelling viciously. He was thrown to the ground.  
  
"BRIAR MOSS! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Niko yelled angrily. Briar stood quickly.  
  
"Niko . . .I'm sorry . . .I thought you were . . ." he trailed off.  
  
"Thought I was who? Briar you know better! Coming after Vinen Snakethread alone! Did you really think you would be able to sneak up on him so easily?" Niko said harshly.  
  
"Well what are YOU doing out here alone, huh?" Briar retorted, his face hot with anger. Niko shoved him in the direction of Discipline.  
  
"Come on, back to Discipline." Niko ordered. "Now!" he snapped when Briar struggled to go the opposite way.  
  
When they reached Discipline, Briar stepped inside and was almost knocked backwards by the impact of Sandry slamming against him. "BRIAR! You promised you wouldn't go after him! You promised!" Her angry tone contrasted violently with her gleeful hugging. As upset as she was, Sandry was extremely glad that Briar had returned safely.  
  
"Sandry, Briar and I need to have a bit of a chat," Niko said calmly. Sandry left reluctantly. "Briar, do you have any idea what could have happened if you weren't so lucky as to attack ME instead of Snakethread? You could have been killed! I don't ever want to see you sneaking off like that again!"  
  
"Yes, Niko," Briar mumbled. Finally, when Niko had finished reprimanding him, Briar stepped into the main room. He got glares from Rosethorn and Lark. Daja and Tris looked at him as if he were crazy. Sandry's face was expressionless, but searching her eyes he found that she was relieved that he was safe, but mixed within the relief they told him that she was upset with him for breaking a promise. He saw a trace of anger, and quickly decided that he would talk to her about it later when they could be alone. He hoped she wasn't too upset. After a moment he left, feeling somewhat unwelcome. He went to his room and bolted it, ensuring his privacy. He picked up a book and began reading. After a while he got bored, but did not want to leave his room. It was quite obvious that everyone knew he had done something wrong. Did he really want to put up with them all? With a sigh Briar returned to his reading.  
  
"BRIAR! Breakfast!" Rosethorn's voice pierced his train of thought. Slowly, Briar closed his book, unbolted the door, and headed towards breakfast. As he began the day's chores, Briar thought back to the silence at breakfast. He knew it was because of him. Uncomfortable around the people he had let down, Briar had scarfed his meal and rushed out the door to the garden where he began to weed. When all of his chores were finished, he crept up to the roof, hoping that no one knew where he was. Lying back and staring at the cloudy sky, he thought of how stupid he had been. Not only had he broken a promise, he had risked his own life. Sure, he hadn't thought of it that way when he left, but looking back on his actions he could see how foolish he had been. Hoping that it would all blow over and everyone would forgive him seemed to be Briar's best bet. Briar didn't know how long he sat on the roof and thought; the dark grey clouds hid the sun from view. He was shaken from his thoughts by someone sitting beside him. "Sandry, I . . ."  
  
"Briar, why did you go after him? You promised me you wouldn't." Sandry looked him straight in the eye. There would be no avoiding it this time. He sighed.  
  
"I don't want him to hurt you. You or your uncle or anyone. Until he is out of here, no one is safe."  
  
"If you knew that, then why did you risk your own life? Did you think that he would be satisfied if he killed just you? He wants all of us."  
  
"But if I had stopped him, everyone would be safe again."  
  
"Briar, you wouldn't have stopped him. Why don't you understand that? He would have finished you off and where would that leave me?"  
  
Briar opened his mouth to speak, but Sandry cut him off.  
  
"I was really worried about you Briar. You knew I would be and you went anyway. There's no excuse for what you did." She stood abruptly and left Briar to brood in his own misery.  
  
All through the rest of the day, Briar shot pleading glances at Sandry. She shook them off, refusing to meet his eyes. Although she didn't show it, Sandry was really upset with him. That night, Briar slept restlessly. Tossing and turning, his sleep was haunted by images of all those dear to him lying dead. He woke with a start just before he would have been called to wake up.  
  
As Briar was turning to leave the room, a piece of paper slid through his window caught his eye. He picked it up, unfolding it as he walked out to the main room. Just inside the doorway, he unfolded the note and stopped short. He went pale and began to tremble as the paper floated to the floor. It was a note. "I have taken two of those dear to you. Make but a move towards their rescue, and I will finish them off." Daja read. Briar raced to Sandry and Tris's rooms. Both girls were missing. Racing into the hall, Briar knew that it was the two girls that Snakethread had taken.  
  
"ROSETHORN! LARK! NIKO!" He yelled. "HE TOOK SANDRY AND TRIS!" Frantically he scrabbled down the stairs, crashing down them. He heard rushed voices and footsteps before his world faded to blackness. 


	10. Chapter Ten: Awakening

**~~**Some of my friends who read my previous disclaimer said that they were confused as to what exactly is going on. I would like to clear that up for everyone. Helga and Shawna are the people who live in my head. I am Sa, the physically alive one. The one who writes the fic. The one with the pen name of Hayden's Super Hobbit. Helga and Shawna are just a figment of my imagination. So, lets review.  
  
Helga: fake, lives in my head  
  
Shawna: fake, lives in my head  
  
Sa: also known as Hayden's Super Hobbit, writer of the fic and creator of Helga and Shawna.  
  
There, now are y'all a but less confused? Good.**~~**  
  
A Disclaimer this is: none of Tamora's characters I own. Vinen Snakethread and Mian I own. Yoda I am. Mine Hayden is.  
  
Helga (in my head she lives): you really are scaring me  
  
Sa (Hayden's Super Hobbit I am): scary I am, for pyro I be. Hayden's lightsaber I stole. Set fire to Jarjar I did.  
  
Helga: hahahaha, good call. It's about time someone got rid of him.  
  
Shawna (in my head she lives as well): now, that wasn't very nice Sa. You should apologize to Jarjar.  
  
Sa: apologize I shall not. Fire I like.  
  
Shawna: well why not apologize? What did Jarjar do to you?  
  
Sa: stop Hayden from being bothered by Padme he did. Like padme I do not. Hate Jarjar I do.  
  
Helga: will you stop it!!!!!  
  
Sa: stop I shall not. Jedi I am. Take over the world I will. Supreme ruler I'll become.  
  
Helga: hey.sounds fun. Can I help?  
  
Sa: help me you can if obedient you will be. My padawan you become.  
  
Helga: I have no idea what you just said.  
  
Shawna: -hopeful- she said that if you decide not to take over the world then you will become her padawan learner.  
  
Helga: what're you nuts? She said that if I agree to let her be in charge when we take over the world then I will be her pada.whatever.  
  
Sa: right Helga is. Agree does she?  
  
Helga: sure, why not  
  
Sa: a pyro-riffic friendship this will be. Continue the story I shall. ~*~Chapter 10: Awakening~*~  
  
Sandry awoke in a dark chamber. She saw Tris chained beside her. Slowly her friend began to come around. As she waited for Tris to regain consciousness, she remembered how she must have gotten to this terrible place. A short, balding, ugly man had taken her and Tris. As Tris sat up slowly, the little man re-entered the room. "Well, well. Our little chickadees are awake," he said with mock gentility. He pushed back a greasy lock of hair and sniffed.  
  
"Mian! Come here at once!" a cold voice called.  
  
"Snakethread," Tris mouthed to Sandry.  
  
"Coming master." Mian scurried out of the room. "By the way," he sneered, "your chains are magic proofed."  
  
Sandry looked at Tris. "I am going to test these chains and see if they really are magic proofed. That little man looks quite careless. He could have used the wrong ones." Slowly, for her head was throbbing, she tested her magic. Her assumptions were correct. "Tris, he put the wrong chains on us," she said hopefully. Maybe we can escape.  
  
"How?" Tris asked. "We don't have the keys."  
  
"Oh yes, we do," Sandry said slyly. "Look. They're right over there. Tied onto that string. I can try to bring them over here without making any noise."  
  
"But once we're out of the chains, how will we get out of the cursed place?"  
  
"That's where you come in. After we unlock the chains, I need you to bring up the thickest fog you can manage. And make sure that it doesn't let up when you go below it. It has to surround this place completely. The only thing is how to get out."  
  
"Not a problem," Tris said. "When that Mian person came here before, he dropped a map of this place. He didn't realize, so I shifted on top of it. When he realized I was awake, he panicked and knocked me out again. I still have the map."  
  
"Tris, you are a genius. Once we are out of here, I swear I will never say you are too clever again." Then the two girls set to work.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ *^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Briar stirred groggily. He heard voices. Opening his eyes, he found that his vision was blurred. Squinting to see better, the fog around him slowly faded. Daja, Rosethorn, Lark, and Niko came into focus. "What happened?" he asked thickly. His mouth was dry as cotton.  
  
"You took quite a fall, Briar," Niko told him. Suddenly he remembered.  
  
"Sandry! Tris! He has them!" Briar sat up quickly. His head spun and gentle hands laid him back against his pillows. A cup was pressed into his hands.  
  
"You won't be going anywhere for a while, Briar," Rosethorn said. "You've a nice sized lump on the back of your head."  
  
"But the girls, we have to find them! He'll kill them!" Briar protested. Sitting up again and trying to fling himself to his feet, Briar's head began to throb. An awful feeling arose in the pit of his stomach and his vision blurred. Again he was laid back and pressed against the soft bed.  
  
"Briar, you really should stay put," Lark told him. You'll be up and about in a few days, trust me. Then we can concentrate on Sandry and Tris. Right now you need to rest. You won't be able to help them like you are."  
  
"But you don't understand!" He said quickly.  
  
"No, Briar. We don't understand. And you can explain it to us when you are in proper condition again." Rosethorn said. Even when he was hurt and feverish, Briar knew better than to mess with her. With that Lark shooed everyone out of the room, muttering about letting him rest.  
  
"I won't let you down Sandry. Tris. Everything is ok . . .I'm coming . . ." Briar mumbled before falling into a fitful sleep. Listening outside his door, Daja worried. Her friend's head wound had caused him fever. He had been delirious for two days before he woke up that day. Relieved that he was healing enough to think somewhat rationally, Daja followed Niko away from his room.  
  
  
  
A/N: poor briar. He got hurted. I feel like such a monster. But don't worry, he'll be all better next chapter. 


	11. Chapter Eleven: Escape

Elloo? Is anyone there? -Bangs muddy hands on the puurty white walls and tracks muddy feet all over the nice shiny white floor- elloooo? Can someone show me to the fluff place? -Looks at dust particle in the air- escoose me sir, where's da fwuff place? Ellooo? Ellooooooo? Anyone???? Elloooooo? -Trips and lands in nice fluffy room with a doctor and a rubber chair and a straightjacket- hello Mr. dude man sir. I'm here to bouncey bouncey in the fluff place! WHEEEE  
  
To Sam: briar fell down the stairs. That's how he hit his head.  
  
To Panda (She Co-Writes Enemaldae, only one chappie so far; at least last time I checked which was this afternoon, but its good): Sa is my real nickname. Lol, and I don't mind ur questions, they give me something to smile about, and God knows I need things to smile about right now.  
  
Anyway . . .Helga and I are plotting deviously inside my head. If by now you cannot guess what T.T.S. means, then you don't know me very well, now do you? And Shawna.she's stocking up on fire extinguishers. DON'T GIVE HER ANY! IT WILL RUIN OUR PLANS!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR SHAWNA!  
  
Helga: yeh.fire extinguishers baaaad.blowtorch.gooooood!  
  
Sa: I LOVE the way your mind works!  
  
Helga: of course you do, I'm YOUR mind!  
  
Sa: devious little weirdo aren't I?  
  
Shawna: now, now, there's *some* good in everyone.  
  
Sa and Helga together: not us! -Laugh evilly-  
  
Disclaimer from da fluff place: Sa doesn't own anything that Tammy owns. Sa owns the evil peoples and the plot. Other den dat, Sa owns nuttin . . .cept for her NEW AOTC VIDEO! YAAAAY! I love Hayden so much. I was like awwww . . .you're crying . . .NOOO! I can't hug you! You're in the TV! Here . . .let me cry with you . . .  
  
Yeh.pathetic I am, but Hayden I love. With the story I shall continue.  
  
*^*Chapter Eleven: Escape*^*  
  
"Got it," Sandry whispered as she reached out her hand. The keys to their chains, tied together with a woolen cord, floated silently into her fingers. She unlocked Tris, then herself. Carefully taking only the key used for their chains and putting it in her pocket, she stood and stretched. Tris took out the map and unfolded it.  
  
"We are here, in the dungeons. One floor up and we can go through the kitchens. I've been doing some listening. Slaves run the kitchens. They won't stop us from leaving. If it's night like I think it is then they will all be away until morning. That gives us a clear shot at escape. The kitchens are right above us and there is a staircase here just a little way from the main ovens. Now, I'll pull up a fog thicker than porridge. I'll make it so that it doesn't leave a thinner area below. We don't want to be seen. We both know the route, but lets take that cord and tie ourselves together so that we aren't separated." Both girls tied an end of the rope around her waist, making sure that even when the rope was stretched to its limit one could easily reach out and touch the other. Tris took a deep breath and slowly gathered a fog. She carefully made sure that it was not too fast, but still quick enough that they could avoid the routine prisoner checks. Every two hours, Mian was sent to be sure that all was in order and every prisoner was accounted for. They left with a little over an hour and to escape the castle and be far enough away that they wouldn't be tracked down.  
  
Slowly, carefully, they snuck up the stairs and to the left. Reaching the first of the three sets of doors between them and their freedom, Sandry sent up a silent prayer to the Goddess that the doors wouldn't squeak. She reached out, sure that they were right ahead. Carefully both girls pushed one door open. Sneaking through and feeling with their hands to make sure they didn't collide with anything or make any sound, Finally, they reached the second door. Again Sandry prayed it would be noiseless, and again her prayer was answered. ~The next door leads us out of this place.~ Tris reminded Sandry. ~Then we should have a bit less than an hour to escape. Maybe more. Mian slacks off on his duties often. He will probably sleep until sunrise. That's still hours away.~ They pressed on.  
  
Finally, the girls felt the wood of the third door against their palms. They opened it and smelled the fresh air happily. After a moment, they remembered that they were escaping. They hurried to the cover of the woods. "Tris?" Sandry whispered.  
  
"Yea?" came the hushed reply.  
  
"Which way is home?"  
  
"I don't know. We might not even be in range."  
  
"If one of us lends the other some magic, maybe we could reach farther."  
  
"But who do we look for?"  
  
"Briar." Came Sandry's immediate answer.  
  
"Why Briar?"  
  
"Because . . .I know him best."  
  
"Fine, I'll lend you some of my magic. You look for Briar." Tris said reluctantly. "Once we find out which direction he's in, we can go back to Discipline."  
  
The two girls joined hands and Sandry reached with her magic, tying it to the storm that was Tris's magic. Carefully she spread her magic, searching for the familiar earthy warmth. It didn't take her long to find him. For a moment, she wished that she hadn't gotten upset with him. After all, Briar was just being . . .well . . .Briar. Finally she drew her magic back and untied it from Tris. They were in luck. The Winding Circle was ahead of them. To make a straight path back home, they would be able to travel directly into the woods. "It's that way." Sandry said before plunging into the woods. She couldn't wait to see Briar again.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Briar sat up in bed. It had been nearly a week since his crash landing at the bottom of the stairs. The throbbing in his head had faded considerably. He stood slowly, pleased to find that he wasn't attacked by that drop in his stomach that meant he had gone too far. He dressed and made his way into the kitchen to find that Daja and Lark were just putting out breakfast. He helped them set out dishes. Breakfast was silent. The only sounds were Little Bear's whines. Their pet dog wanted Briar to share his breakfast. 'Poor Little Bear,' Briar thought, 'He must be as lonely as I am.'  
  
Thinking about Sandry made Briar feel sort of empty inside, as if someone had just hollowed out his skin. She had been taken. He hadn't even apologized for breaking his promise. Getting up abruptly, he strode out of the room.  
  
During the day, Briar paced about restlessly. If he wasn't doing chores, he was wandering aimlessly about the house. He often wandered up the stairs and stared listlessly into Sandry's empty bedroom. He would then force himself downstairs, always listening for the clack of her loom. Knowing that it was hopeless, Briar went up to the roof. He found no peace there. All he could think about was that warm afternoon when he and Sandry had fallen asleep in the sun. Getting up and going back downstairs he shut himself in his room. Again he was reminded of Sandry. Nothing worked. Everything he tried, everywhere he went just made it worse. Finally he mumbled to Lark that he was going for a walk. After she had given him the token saying he had permission to be wandering around, he headed for the Hub. Dedicate Gorse always had something for him. Maybe food would settle him.  
  
He left the Hub with a warm, sweet roll. Sitting under a tree he devoured it, then wandered slowly back to Discipline. It was useless. Nothing was helping. The only way to get rid of this was to find Sandry, but how? He returned the token to Lark and shut himself in his room. Falling onto the bed, he stared at the ceiling. A sharp knock at his door surprised him out of his listless state. "Briar! Briar, come out of there," Niko ordered. Briar followed Niko into the main room. Daja was already waiting. Niko sat him down. "Now, you both know that Tris and Sandry were taken. We have secured the location of Snakethread's domain. Now that we have that information, we may be able to rescue the girls without them being hurt. Since you two are so close with them, you may come along if you wish."  
  
Briar's heart beat frantically. They were going to help Sandry! And Tris too, of course. He immediately rushed to his room and began to pack, muttering to himself. In the main room, he heard Niko telling Daja that they were leaving the next morning. Finally Briar wore himself out, just barely making it to the bed before falling into the first real sleep he'd had in days.  
  
  
  
A/N: wow.a lot of my chapters end in Briar falling asleep (or blacking out). Lol. I just noticed that. This is like my longest chapter yet I think. Anyway, that's all for now. I have to study. This is "the week of many quizzes" at school. Sux eh? Bloody right it does! Biebie  
  
PS: u might be wondering what the title of the chappie (Escape) has to do with Briar. Well, it's quite simple. He is trying to escape the emptiness/unhappiness/guilt that he is feeling. Ok, now I REALLY have to go. Biebie again 


	12. Chapter Twelve: Reunion

Yet another note to Panda, Co-Writer of Enemaldae: in response to your questions, my real name is Sarah, and you pronounce Sa as if you were saying "sat" but didn't add the t. bad description I know. I am American, but I would love to live in Canada some day. (Did you know that MY Hayden grew up in Canada?). And also, I don't like Jarjar because the supreme chancellor is a bad bad dude and Jarjar was the one who gave him immediate emergency powers. Even though it did a good thing because they got the army of clones, he is still a bad, bad man and I don't like him. I also think that Jarjar is annoyingly naïve and stupid. And he's all babbly and weird. Hayd deserves better. And I don't like Padme for obvious reasons. She is fun to growl at. Have you tried it? You should!  
  
Helga: yesh.growling is fuuun  
  
Sa: so is biting  
  
Helga: biting?!?  
  
Sa: yep! I am an irate velosiraptor (like in the Weird Al song!). I like biting. -Makes raptor call-  
  
Helga: oooh.fuuuun! So are we still gonna tts?  
  
Sa: of course  
  
Shawna: NO YOU'RE NOT! I HAVE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!  
  
Sa and Helga: and . . .?  
  
Shawna: pretty tablecloths?  
  
Sa and Helga: add them to the bonfire! Hahahahahaaaa!  
  
Disclaimer: since Sa and Helga are too busy burning things to do this, I guess it's up to me, Shawna. Anyway, Sa doesn't own any of the characters or things that belong to Ms Pierce. She says she owns Hayden Christensen but it isn't very nice to own someone now is it?  
  
Sa: IT IS TOO NICE! I TREAT HIM LIKE A GOD AND YOU ARE IMPLYING SLAVERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Shawna: no, no, I didn't mean tha- -chokes as Sa tries to strangle her and quickly steals Sa's Anakin action figure-  
  
Sa: NOOOOOOOOO! GIVE HIM BAAAACK! -Sobs- YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TOUCH HIIIIM! -snatches figure back and hugs it- I wont ever ever ever let mean Shawna steal you ever again!  
  
Helga: since Sa and Shawna are over there squabbling, I guess it's up to me to get Sa to write eh? Well, here goes.  
  
*^*^*^*^Chapter Twelve: Reunion^*^*^*^*  
  
Tris and Sandry had been traveling towards home for two days when they found the road. Realizing that it lead straight back to the Winding Circle and double checking it on their stolen set of maps, they decided that it was safe to use it. Now that they were far enough away from the castle, they were more likely to be found by friends than enemies. Sitting by the side of the road and sharing some of the food they had taken, each girl drifted into her own set of thoughts. Sandry couldn't help but think about Briar. When she had felt out his magic on the day of their escape, he seemed to be in some kind of pain. She hadn't tried to reach him since then, afraid of what she might find. The hurt feelings he had caused her were now replaced by concern. She missed him terribly. Seeing Tris stand, she pushed Briar out of her mind. The sooner they got back to the Winding Circle, the sooner she would see him again. The two girls walked along the road for two, maybe three hours before stopping for another rest.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Briar fidgeted constantly on his horse. What if they didn't find Sandry and Tris? What if they were already dead? Was Sandry still mad at him? Over and over these questions tumbled through his mind. They had been riding for hours now and still no sign of the girls. This was most definitely the right way to go, so why hadn't they found them yet? The rational portion of his mind said that the girls probably didn't even escape. That it would take weeks to find out where they were and to hope that they weren't dead by the time they did. A voice startled him out of his thoughts.  
  
"What's wrong plant-boy?" Daja asked. "You look like you are nervous or something."  
  
"It's noting really." He lied. Turning back to his thoughts, he stared blankly at the road ahead.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
Sandry woke with a start. She must have fallen asleep. Tris was snoring lightly a few feet away from her. It was getting dark. She woke Tris and they started out again. After only a few minutes of walking, they heard the plod of horses' hooves. They quickly hid behind some trees just off the road. Sandry positioned herself so that she could watch the road without being seen. As the source of the noises came into view, she saw three figures riding horses. A tall person, presumably a man, was leading the other two riders. As they drew nearer, Sandry heard them talking quietly. She looked over at Tris. Her friend heard them too. There was no mistaking those voices.  
  
"BRIAR! DAJA! NIKO!" She cried, darting onto the path. Tris followed suit. All three riders swung themselves from their saddles and Sandry found herself swept into strong arms. After a moment, Briar released her. She stepped away only to be crushed by Daja as Tris clung to Niko. Both of the shivering girls were given blankets. After a few moments, Niko announced that it was time to go home.  
  
Home. That word sounded so comforting to Sandry's ears. All she could think about was a hot meal, a warm bath, and then a good night's rest in her own bed. Since there were only three horses, it was decided that Tris and Sandry would each share a horse with either Briar or Daja. Sandry mounted, Briar swung himself up behind her. Sandry sighed softly and leaned against Briar. After making sure that no one else was looking, he kissed the top of her head softly. ((A/N from Sa: ARGH! I am so pathetic! As I write these scenes, I can sorta see them in my head, but every time I type one of these mushy things, I can't stop the little movie in my head from switching Briar to Hayden and Sandry to me. Lol, how hopeless am I?))  
  
A few hours later they arrived back at Discipline. Lark, and even Rosethorn, rushed out to greet Sandry and Tris. The two girls were escorted to the baths, and then given hot cups of tea. Tris took hers into the main room and curled up in a chair with a book. Sandry finished her tea and went up to the roof. Laying back and closing her eyes, she didn't hear Briar sit beside her. Instead, she felt him smooth a strand of her hair from her face. Opening her eyes, she smiled at him and shifted into a sitting position.  
  
Briar sighed as Sandry leaned against him; the warm weight of her head on his shoulder assured him that this was no hopeful dream. He moved slightly and she raised her head off of his shoulder. Briar gently lifted her chin to just the right angle for a kiss. Their lips met and Sandry snaked her arms around his neck, burying her fingers in his hair. In the moment that seemed to last a lifetime, Briar was finally convinced that this was really Sandry and she was really back. When they broke the kiss, Briar held her against his chest. "I missed you so much," he whispered. The only response was her soft, contented breathing. She had fallen asleep.  
  
After making sure that everyone else was asleep, Briar carried Sandry to her room and tucked her into her bed. He kissed her forehead and left. That night he slept peacefully, a small smile spread across his face. Not a troubled thought crossed his mind as he dreamed of a perfect world. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Agressive Negotiations

Sa: I made balloon people with my little cousin! HAHAHAHAHA! Hers is a replica of her, mine is a NERD! WHEEEE! NERDS ARE FUN! I am doing an oral report on JRR Tolkien. I found a site with all sorts of info on him. And it's only got to be a 4-6 minute speech. Imagine me standing up there, "and in the hobbit Bilbo Baggins does this and this and . . ." -Two Hours Later- "and this and this and this and this and this and this and blah-di blah-di blah. Now on to The Fellowship Of The Ring!" -Audience groans-  
  
Helga: all RIGHT Sa!!! You can STOP NOW! We've had enough!  
  
Shawna: I was actually quite interested.  
  
Sa: really???  
  
Helga: NO! She's just being Shawna  
  
Sa: fine! Forget you two! I'll go and play with Hayden! He LIKES to listen to me! And he is teaching me how to use his LIGHTSABER! I'll CHOP YOU TO PIECES! -Storms off muttering- "I hate oldies! I hate oldies! I hate oldies! I hate oldies! I hate oldies! I hate oldies! I HATE OLDIES! I HATE THEM YOU HEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
*^*^*^*^Chapter Thirteen: Aggressive Negotiations^*^*^*^*  
  
"Briar? Briar, wake up."  
  
Briar pulled his blanket over his head and tried to go back to sleep.  
  
"Briar!" the whisper persisted. The blanket was pulled off his head and he looked, bleary eyed, into Sandry's impatient face. "Come on, Tris and Daja are already awake."  
  
"I'm up," he said, sitting and stifling a yawn. Sandry smiled and left. Dressing quickly, Briar wondered what was going on. It was not even dawn yet. Just then, the Hub clock chimed 2 hours past midnight. He pulled on his boots and tiptoed into the main room. The three girls were outside, whispering quietly. "What's going on?" he inquired.  
  
"Briar, we're going after him. All four of us together." Tris said.  
  
"You aren't going to say no, are you?" Sandry asked. Pleading blue eyes met his.  
  
"No way," he said determinedly. "We're getting rid of that man as soon as possible." And with that, the four set out towards the road that would take them to their foe.  
  
Three days later they arrived at the huge castle. On the way, the four young mages had studied the map of the castle and decided their plan of attack. Tris would draw up another fog and they would sneak into Snakethread's chambers at night. There, they would finish him off. Briar readied his knives as Tris called up the fog. They decided to tie themselves at the waist again to avoid getting separated. Tris tied the end of a long rope to herself. Daja tied herself next to Tris. Sandry took the next space and Briar took the other end. This was where it began.  
  
They snuck into the castle and ascended four flights of stairs. ~This next door is Snakethread's chambers.~ Tris mind-spoke. ~Daja, make sure the hinges don't creak.~ A moment later the entered the rooms. There was no fog there. Instead, there stood Snakethread himself.  
  
"Well, well. Our young mages come to save the day. It's not going to be that easy," he said silkily. No one noticed Briar discreetly untying the rope around his waist. Snakethread sneered at them. Then, uttering a single word of command, he threw the three girls to the corner. He was obviously surprised that Briar didn't go flying with them. Taking advantage of his enemy's confusion, Briar threw up the strongest magical barrier he could muster. Dimly he felt Sandry feeding her magic into the protection and pushing some of his magic back into his stores. Snakethread recovered quickly. He threw a blast of raw power at Briar. Dodging, he retaliated by plucking the thorns from the plants in the chamber and throwing them cruelly at the man, causing several cuts on his face and neck. No one knew how long the magical portion of the battle lasted. Briar was running out of magic. Most of Sandry's magic had already been woven into a protection for him. Daja and Tris had been knocked out by the impact of hitting the wall.  
  
Suddenly, Briar remembered his knives. The mage was weak physically. He launched himself at Snakethread and flicked out one of his knives. Snakethread threw the last of his magic into a barrier that kept Briar from hitting him. As Snakethread lowered his defenses, Briar lunged again. Before the mage could even throw up another barrier, Briar's blade had buried itself deep into Snakethread's heart. Then, Sandry's magical barrier collapsed. The girl had fainted.  
  
Rushing to her side, Briar realized that his magic was spent as well. The last thing he saw as his vision went dark was the dead body of Vinen Snakethread. He had fallen. 


	14. Epilogue

Sa: the last chapter. Wow.I finished this story pretty fast.  
  
Helga: yes, and you murdered someone. Proud of yourself?  
  
Sa: no. Not quite. But I will be once this chapter is done  
  
Shawna: I hope no one dies this chapter . . .  
  
Disclaimer by Sa: I don't own anything except the now dead Snakethread (hahah that rhymes) and Mian and Hayd and the plot. The beginning of the end . . .  
  
*^*^*^*^Epilogue^*^*^*^*  
  
Briar awoke to the sun shining into his room in Discipline. He sighed. It had been nearly a year since he and his friends had defeated Vinen Snakethread. A few days after they had returned to Discipline, Tris and Daja had caught him and Sandry kissing on the roof. Their secret was uncovered.  
  
Much to Briar's surprise, everyone had been supportive, or at least tolerant, of their romance. Not even Duke Vedris could object. He got out of bed and dressed. Today was the Midsummer Ball. This year, the Duke had decided to honor the four young mages who had saved Emelan from its downfall.  
  
The day passed quickly until Briar and his friends began preparing for the celebrations. He was the first one to finish, waiting in the main room for the girls. Tris and Daja joined him soon after. Finally, Sandry emerged. Her dress was of midnight blue silk and her honey-brown hair, curled for the occasion, cascaded down her back.  
  
"You look beautiful," Briar said softly, kissing her cheek. Together the four young mages boarded the carriage waiting to take them to the citadel.  
  
At the ball, Sandry mostly stuck to dancing with Briar and talking to her friends. She danced once with Pasco, but left him to Evvy for most of the night. The two seemed to have taken an immense liking to each other. Briar smiled to himself as he whirled Sandry around the polished marble floor. Everything had turned out for the best. It was the beginning of the end . . .  
  
  
  
A/N: well? Did you like? Cheesey ending, I know. I am now taking votes. Should I do a funny LOTR fic, or a Kel/Dom fic? I was originally gonna do LOTR, but I am not sure anymore. Whichever one gets the most votes by December 10th is the one I am gonna do first. Kk biez. 


End file.
